New Parliament Building on the Anvil

A new parliament building is on the anvil. The speaker Sumitra Mahajan accepted the proposal of the parliamentary affairs minister Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu for a new structure. The present building was built in 1927 and the 88 year old structure is aging fast. The speaker suggested two alternative sites for the construction of a new parliament building. If a new building is constructed in the existing complex, certain facilities and services are to be changed. Moreover, repairs and modernization are limited as the present building falls under Heritage Grade-1. The speaker suggested that the site on the other side of Raj Path is spacious enough to meets the needs. She is also understood to have suggested that the present building may be linked to the proposed building in Raj Path through underground way. The speaker also said that by 2026 the seats in Lok Sabha will have to be increased as per clause 3 of article 81 with the increase in population. Hence the demand for a larger parliament building. In addition to this the demand for an e-parliament is to be met to provide state of the art technologies to the MPs. The proposed new building is expected to last for hundred years. The Central Cabinet will shortly examine this proposal.